Capitol Recap

The following offers education-related highlights of the recent
legislative sessions. The enrollment figures are based on estimated
fall 2001 data reported by the National Center for Education Statistics
for prekindergarten through 12th grade in public elementary and
secondary schools. The figures for precollegiate education spending
include money for state education administration, but not federal,
flow-through dollars, unless otherwise noted.

NEW YORK Even in Tough Times,
Schools Get New Aid

Despite a slumping economy exacerbated by last year's terrorist
attack, New York has managed to increase funding for education.

A record $14.6 billion will go toward public schools from a total
2002-03 state budget of $89.6 billion. The 3 percent increase in K-12
school aid over last year's amount represents a continuing trend. New
York has increased state funding for schools by almost 50 percent since
1995.

Republican

Senate:
25 Democrats
36 Republicans

House:
97 Democrats
52 Republicans

Enrollment:
2.9 million

The budget includes, among other provisions, increases for teacher
recruitment and after-school programs. The Advantage After-School
program, which offers students supplemental after- school education at
over 100 sites across the state, received a 25 percent increase—a
boost of $5 million.

Releasing his budget earlier this year, Gov. George E. Pataki called
the budget a "balanced, fiscally sound plan."

In other legislative action this year, lawmakers passed and the
governor signed legislation that provides New York City Mayor Michael
R. Bloomberg with more control over his city's 1.1 million-student
public schools.

Under the law, which represents the biggest governance change for
the city's schools in three decades, New York's 32 community school
boards will be abolished by June. The community boards were criticized
for fiscal mismanagement.

The mayor also was given the power to appoint the city's schools
chancellor. In July, Mr. Bloomberg named Joel I. Klein, a former head
of the U.S. Department of Justice's antitrust division, as the new
chancellor. The mayor also gets to appoint eight of the city's board 13
members.

The change represented a significant victory for Mayor Bloomberg,
who was elected last year and had sought greater control over the
nation's largest school district.

—John Gehring

Vol. 22, Issue 13, Page 18

Notice: We recently upgraded our comments. (Learn more here.) If you are logged in as a subscriber or registered user and already have a Display Name on edweek.org, you can post comments. If you do not already have a Display Name, please create one here.

Ground Rules for Posting
We encourage lively debate, but please be respectful of others. Profanity and personal attacks are prohibited. By commenting, you are agreeing to abide by our user agreement.
All comments are public.